Publix Coupon Policy Changes (As of 10/1/14)

Comments

I stopped at two Publix stores tonight, and the CS folks and CS managers all told me there is no plan to stop taking Target coupons in the Palm Coast Publix stores.

The store I was in that is only about 1/3 mile from the Super Target said they were absolutely planning to continue taking Target coupons, but the CS manager said Publix is reviewing the competitors each store is currently taking, and some stores will be losing Target as a competitor because the nearest Target isn't close enough to truly compete with that Publix. They said that was true of all competitors, not just Target.

We have a Super Target and two Winn Dixies that are within a few miles of three of the PC Publix locations closest to me. Two of the three have positively confirmed they will continue to take Target coupons after October 1, and the third one said just a couple days ago that no one had mentioned anything about dropping Target.

Three other stores in the area are not as close to the Super Target (maybe 7-10 miles away), and those stores might stop taking Target coupons. The Publix I went to last week in which two CS people told me Target was being dropped as a competitor company-wide are currently taking Target, but that store is about 10 miles away from the Super Target here, so they could very well be be losing Target at that store, but they are wrong about the change being company-wide.

Went to my favorite store today and was confirmed by my favorite cashier and CS people...they even showed me the memo...it was word for word what was posted on IHP main. There was no mention (in the memo) that Target or any particular competitor would be dropped, however I was told that Publix periodically reassesses which stores to take as competitors.

So it is gonna be pretty tough for me to go back to shopping at a bunch of different stores, but I guess it's what I'll have to do. Luckily I have 5 stores within 5 miles.

We do not accept coupons that Publix determines to be printed incorrectly. For example, a coupon missing a size requirement or other standard coupon details.

Hate to jump the gun, but here is the potential problem I see with the above new rule. Especially in the beginning of the new policy when cashiers are going to scrutinize every coupon very carefully because they do not want to get in trouble, which I fully understand. That new $2 Sambazon IP states $2 off any Sambazon, valid on 1 juice, smoothie pack, sorbet, or energy drink. While there are pictures on the Q of the small sized drinks, there is no size requirement. This is just an example, and hopefully anyone in their right senses can see this Q can clearly be used on the smallest size, but I see an overzealous cashier saying they can't take it because it's missing a size requirement (16 oz, 32 oz, etc). Shouldn't be a problem, but I know a couple cashiers who would be calling over a manager left and right.

One of my stores that allowed multiplication of the GAB coupons and other mass-distribution Publix booklets (but never the BMHaH printables or other two-per-computer Publix printables or home-mailer Publix coupons like Stocking Spree) told me last week that they will no longer be allowed to multiply ANY Publix coupon after October 1.

We do not accept coupons that Publix determines to be printed incorrectly. For example, a coupon missing a size requirement or other standard coupon details.

Hate to jump the gun, but here is the potential problem I see with the above new rule. Especially in the beginning of the new policy when cashiers are going to scrutinize every coupon very carefully because they do not want to get in trouble, which I fully understand. That new $2 Sambazon IP states $2 off any Sambazon, valid on 1 juice, smoothie pack, sorbet, or energy drink. While there are pictures on the Q of the small sized drinks, there is no size requirement. This is just an example, and hopefully anyone in their right senses can see this Q can clearly be used on the smallest size, but I see an overzealous cashier saying they can't take it because it's missing a size requirement (16 oz, 32 oz, etc). Shouldn't be a problem, but I know a couple cashiers who would be calling over a manager left and right.

I already had a problem with this exact coupon today. The manager said they would take it "this time" because of the grace period, but none like this in the future. 95% of my legitimately printed internet coupons do NOT have a size requirement. So I asked her about coupons that say "any size". She said nope. How about "any one so and so"? Nope. How about "any size excluding travel/trial"? Nope. She told me it is the manufacturers fault for not putting the size on the coupon. OK, but how is that OUR fault? Couponers can't control how manufacturers choose to word their coupons. And many times you won't know if there is a size printed on it until after you print it, so that could potentially be a lot of wasted printing. This is the one new policy that makes absolutely no sense to me, unless I'm reading something wrong or missing something or misunderstanding this one completely.

To the comment earlier in the thread I have no knowledge of Publix as a whole dropping any competitor from the coupon list. I know I have heard before hand that when they analyze competitors it is more than just how far away they are from the store. My store isn't dropping them.

Personally I'll be more chill with this new policy because the copy policy doesn't really apply to target coupons because they don't have separate pins. And if the coupon says any size than thats what the coupon is for? Idk how some manager interpreted that as invalid, thats total BS and would piss me off too.

The target IPs have unique numbers...they are just real tiny. All around the edge

True, but they only scan on Target registers, so only a Target register would "know" a coupon is a copy based on the validation code. A Publix cashier would have to evaluate the coupon based on the quality of the toner/ink.

Even so, I've never copied a coupon but when my toner is low, the darker areas of the coupon (like borders and graphics) can look streaky. I've printed pages of coupons in the past before I knew the toner cartridge was running out. If they weren't too bad, I used them because I knew they were good. I tossed the really bad ones.

Personally I'll be more chill with this new policy because the copy policy doesn't really apply to target coupons because they don't have separate pins. And if the coupon says any size than thats what the coupon is for? Idk how some manager interpreted that as invalid, thats total BS and would piss me off too.

Personally, I think that was added to the policy to give the managers a policy to back them up when rejecting a high-value coupon that is being used on a really inexpensive tiny size. For example, the $2.50/2 Naturally Fresh MQs last year that were good coupons (they were insert coupons), but had no size restriction, so they were being widely used at Publix on the tiny individual $0.33 cups in the Deli. That is the sort of situation that I think will now be routinely denied in the future.

Ditto for the Aleve peelies for $2/1 and $3/1 that are taken off expensive, high-count boxes and used on the trial/travel size packages that are $0.99 and $1.19. Those peelies do say "Off this package," so the manufacturer did not intend for them to be used on the travel size packages. They are meant for the bigger, pricier sizes that they were affixed to.

I just sent an email to Sambazon asking if the $2 off coupon with no size restriction can be used on the 10.5-ounce bottles of Freshies. If the answer is yes, I will print and bring it with me to Publix when I use the coupons.

I'm sure the answer will be yes Maureen as the pic shows the smaller bottles. However, I used them strictly for the Energy variety since that is one of the items listed in the wording. The coupon does not say smoothies, but smoothie pack, so I feel there could be a potential problem there trying to use it on another flavor. Shame we now have to go to such lengths as to get written clarification from a company in order to use a coupon on something we shouldn't have trouble with.I sent my husband to use the coupons today (I NEVER send him, so had to give him a tutorial..lol) )as I could not go out and I was worried that today might be the last day for the $2 price. He said the coupons didn't scan, but the nice cashier realized she needed to scan the short bar code, and they sailed right through after that.

Using coupons shouldn't be this hard lol. I plan to head to corporate in the very near future and I have some ideas I would love to suggest if I can find the right person. Fun fact, the Lakeland division Talent Search recruiters is a couponer. She's so sweet too!

I'm sure the answer will be yes Maureen as the pic shows the smaller bottles. However, I used them strictly for the Energy variety since that is one of the items listed in the wording. The coupon does not say smoothies, but smoothie pack, so I feel there could be a potential problem there trying to use it on another flavor. Shame we now have to go to such lengths as to get written clarification from a company in order to use a coupon on something we shouldn't have trouble with.I sent my husband to use the coupons today (I NEVER send him, so had to give him a tutorial..lol) )as I could not go out and I was worried that today might be the last day for the $2 price. He said the coupons didn't scan, but the nice cashier realized she needed to scan the short bar code, and they sailed right through after that.

When I used those Sambazon coupons, the manager told me specifically that the picture doesn't matter. Nor does the wording matter. She told me those coupons would not be accepted because there is no size specified on it - period. Which has me very concerned because 95% of my printed coupons do not specify a size. I hope we get clarification on this from Publix soon.

This is obviously ridiculous. I'm sure, at least I HOPE, that most managers are not going to let this carte blanche thing go to their heads, and realize the wording regarding lack of size restrictions has nothing to do with a coupon like this. I have already used my coupons otherwise I would do it, so I hope someone (better yet, more than one person) will call customer care and email a pic of the coupon so they can see the issues we are encountering. I am sure Publix did not have a coupon such as this in mind when they put this in the new policy, but rather to stop blatant coupon misuse. I am also sure the intent of the new policy (at least one of the reasons) is to speed things up at the register so that people who don't use coupons will not be as aggravated, and not to slow things down. I think we need to nip a situation like this in the bud. JMHO.Now let's just hope that Maureen gets a favorable reply from Sambazon, or this will have been for naught!

I'm sure the answer will be yes Maureen as the pic shows the smaller bottles. However, I used them strictly for the Energy variety since that is one of the items listed in the wording. The coupon does not say smoothies, but smoothie pack, so I feel there could be a potential problem there trying to use it on another flavor. Shame we now have to go to such lengths as to get written clarification from a company in order to use a coupon on something we shouldn't have trouble with.

On the Sambazon product website, all the 10.5 ounce bottles are called Freshies.